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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Alternative and Complementary Medicine

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

2018

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Vitamin D: Controversy Cancer And Beyond, Cristian J. Rosales, Debasish Bandyopadhyay Oct 2018

Vitamin D: Controversy Cancer And Beyond, Cristian J. Rosales, Debasish Bandyopadhyay

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Vitamins are an essential part to wellbeing. This was not something always known however, as the Germ theory was the accepted thesis of the 18th century. It was found that certain accessory factors helped mitigate and even cure these diseases such as beriberi, scurvy, and rickets. Accessory factors, later coined vitamins by Casimir Funk, are an essential constituent of the human diet. Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin but functions as a steroid hormone whose most well-known purpose is calcification of the human skeleton. This helps prevent osteomalacia in adults and rickets, a serious problem in children due to …


Glutathione: A Small Molecule With Big Sense, Cristina E. Raya, Debasish Bandyopadhyay Aug 2018

Glutathione: A Small Molecule With Big Sense, Cristina E. Raya, Debasish Bandyopadhyay

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Glutathione, a peptide found in microbes, plants and animals including human plays a key role in maintaining healthy cells. The peptide exists in both reduced and oxidized forms. Synthesis of GSH occurs in the cytosol of cells, and the extent of glutathione synthesis relies on various factors, such as amino acid availability, protein activity etc. Once synthesized, glutathione exists in both forms: oxidized (GSSG) and reduced (GSH). Oxidized glutathione characterized by its disulfide linkage. On the other hand, presence of a thiol group characterizes the reduced glutathione. This thiol makes the tripeptide an essential component of health; it makes glutathione …